Page 3

I’ve been thinking about my recent experience in getting to grips with educational research and escaping the confines of my assumptions. My involvement in an education innovation project has enabled me to do exactly that, and I can certainly recommend it — provided you are prepared to visit spaces outside your comfort zone.

The need to go beyond your comfort zone and assumptions

Having the time to read, reflect, think, visit schools, talk with teachers and students, and engage in professional conversations about a topic of interest is like taking a very deep breath of fresh air. It’s enjoyable but scary at the same time. Scary, because, not only am I working towards an outcome that is not yet known (thanks to the design methodology process being followed), but I also realise that my educational focus has gradually narrowed over the last few years.

If I measure the success of the analog mission in terms of meeting my expectations, then it was a failure. A right-royal failure. But, this is the life of a games designer. You have to learn to live with your mistakes. You have to learn to dance in the rain. You need to harden up. I’m talking about being a games designer in the context of education. I’m not professing to be any kind of expert. I’m a newbie, but already I’m learning a few things, and that was the purpose of the analog mission.

So, what is an analog mission? I have stolen the term from NASA. Because you want to learn from your mistakes before you go into space, rather than while in space, NASA runs complex missions underwater and in the desert. These analog missions are designed to test people and equipment in harsh conditions akin to the extremes of heat, cold, and isolation that will be experienced on real missions in space.

My analog mission was a puzzle game that used digital technology for communications, but not to define or enhance the game. I chose Twitter as the communications channel, but the game itself was old school and real world. A wooden puzzle called the Locked Cross was disassembled, and each piece was packed into a luscious and mysterious blue purse with a gold cord for hanging it around a players neck. Then the purses were hidden around the venue which served as the game environment. A player who had followed the clues via a Twitter hashtag would know another player by their unusual and similar attire. The queen (the senior female present) held the key (a clue to be found in Robert Bly’s title Iron John mysteriously left lying around for players to find). This game was designed to test the concept for a fully blown augmented and alternate reality game called Fragmented, where the wooden puzzle pieces will be replaced with fragments of a narrative embedded (electronically) in a real-world learning environment. Up to now, everything was going to plan.

We present the following advice as starting points for early childhood, schools and kura who are planning ways to keep students safe online. Which of these is happening for your learners? Let us know on Twitter @coreeducation #SID2015.

Tip #1: Give respect, get respect

The Internet can be a powerful tool for connecting and working with others, both locally and globally.

Find ways to collaborate and learn to work positively with others online.

Tip #2: Walk the talk

Safe and responsible use of the Internet is normalised through the way we all behave together.

Model critical thinking when using the Internet.

Find real-life, positive ways to model the use of the web as part of our own learning.

Guide others.

Tip #3: Open the door on dialogue

Rather than restricting access to the web or using fear-based messages, the best way to manage challenges online is to work them out together.

Effective prevention strategies emphasise approaches that actively involve discussing with students how they use digital technology, and more specifically, the challenges they experience online and how they keep safe. Teachers, students, peers, parents, family and whānau — we all have a role in this process. There are no quick fixes.

Talk to our learners, children and colleagues about online activity, cybersafety behaviours.

Lose the fear-based messages. Plan an approach that balances protective approaches, such as technical mediation of student online access, with strategies that promote safe, responsible and pro-social behaviours.

Provide support when they meet challenges.

Tip #4: Use the right tools

Use the tools that come with all devices and platforms to restrict or monitor our information and identity online as part of an overall strategy to manage safe use online.

Make sure we know how to manage our devices and the security systems that are in-built.

Set up secure passwords and consider using software to manage them.

Explore the use of Safe Search and student-friendly browsers.

Tip #5: Harness the power

Design experiences and learning opportunities that invite learners to pick up new skills safely and in meaningful contexts. Weave safety messages into the learning process. Make it part of learning plans before you set out with your students.

Look for meaningful opportunities to connect with other people across the world. Other young people, whānau and wider communities can all be guides.

Use social networks to foster conversations about issues that are relevant to students.

Other resources

If you liked this, you might also find these other cybersafety resources from CORE Education useful:

EdTalks on Cybersafety

Sticks and Stones: Fighting cyberbullying: The Sticks 'n Stones project aims to support students to be Positive Digital Citizens, to help those affected by Cyber Bullying and to encourage everyone not to be bystanders.

Ten Trends 2013: Digital citizenship: Dr John Fenaughty, University of Auckland, suggests a shift towards using inquiry based learning to promote critical thinking and then applying that to understanding what digital citizenship would look like for students.

The beginning of the school year provides us with plenty of opportunity to consider bringing new ideas and fresh ways of doing things into our schools and classroom programmes. Such thinking is a sign of a healthy system, with change coming as a result of the desire to continuously improve what we are doing, and to ensure we are providing the very best we can for our students.

The need to keep to core values

Any change we consider making should start with considering how such changes might align with our core beliefs, the fundamental ideas we have about what is important for our school and our learners. This is particularly the case where the change being considered is going to have significant impact on staff, students, and the community – e.g. rebuilding all or part of the school, changing the configuration of classes, or introducing new forms of assessment for instance.

As our school system seeks to adapt to the rapidly changing social, economic, and political pressures, the changes being considered can often conflict with the core beliefs, values, and principles we have established, resulting in tensions at all levels and a lack of any real vision for what we are doing or why we are doing it.

Transformation is the new buzzword

In New Zealand, as in many parts of the world, there are calls for a transformation in our school system. A simple search for “NZ Education” and “Transformation” on the Web will reveal just how pervasively this term is now being used across a range of policy and programmes. Yet, do we really understand what transformation means in practice, and is that practice built upon our own set of beliefs about transformation, or are we simply adopting the practices suggested by others?

The argument for and justification of a transformation of our education system is certainly gaining momentum, but a clear articulation of what this will look like is still to emerge, leaving many of the initiatives appearing to be nothing more than simply “different” to what they were.

What transformation really means

At the heart of this transformation is the shift from the school as the focus of education policy, to making the learner the focus of all educational decision-making, with a concerted effort to personalize the learning experience for each learner. Where previously many of our practices reflected an assumption that students start school as a ‘blank slate’ with an innate and fixed capacity to learn, a transformed system develops practices that build on prior learning and reflect a belief in the potential for all students to learn and achieve high standards, given high expectations, motivation and sufficient time and support. Placing the learner at the centre not only makes them the focus of attention in terms of policy and planning, but also involves them in the decisions made about these things. These thoughts are expanded on in CORE’s Ten Trends on Learner Orientation.

The three keys to unlocking transformation potential in our schools

Having established the fundamental premise of placing the learner at the centre of our thinking, there are three keys to unlocking the transformation potential in our schools. These three things define what is fundamentally different about teaching and learning in the 21st century, and help us understand the areas we need to focus on changing in our practice.

First, we must empower our learners by providing them with choices and the ability to act on those choices. This is the key of agency where learners have the ‘power to act’. Agency isn’t about abandoning our role as teachers and leaving everything to the learner, but recognises the learner as an empowered and active participant at all levels of the educational process. It requires us to re-think how we engage with learners and the role we take as teachers, and it requires an emphasis on a different set of competencies that will ensure our learners are able to make good and appropriate choices and act on them in their learning.

Second, we must acknowledge that learning is not confined to the four walls of a classroom, nor finishes at the school gate, but can and does occur anywhere, at any time and at any pace. This is the key of ubiquity, challenging us to find ways of embracing the wide range of contexts in which learning occurs, and to see our schools as ‘nodes’ on the network of learning provision. The increasing availability and use of digital technologies is enabling this to occur more easily, for example, learners are able to access what they are learning and doing at school from home or elsewhere, and they are able to access programmes of learning from other places, not depending purely on what is provided in their local school context.

Thirdly, we must embrace the idea that learning involves the process of knowledge building, and that this is no longer regarded as an individual endeavor, but occurs as individuals interact with each other, contributing, shaping and refining ideas so that the new knowledge is created ‘in the network’ of connections made. This is the key of connectedness, recognizing that ‘no learner is an island’, and that the connections between and among human beings is fundamental to learning in the 21st century. Again, the increased availability and use of digital technologies means that there is now no limit to how and where these connections are made. This is particularly significant in an increasingly globalised world.

Ready to make this the year of transformation?

Applied properly, these keys will require some fundamental shifts in our thinking as educators. They cannot be used in an ‘additive’ way, simply creating another layer to what we already do. Beginning by placing the learner at the centre of what we do, we have the opportunity to truly transform our education system, starting with what happens in our schools and classrooms. What better time to capture this sort of thinking and let it guide our actions than the beginning of a new school year? Let’s make 2015 the year of transformation!

Well, what a year! Teaching, while enormously rewarding, is an exacting profession!

You’ll be looking forward to a break. Turn the computer off, lock away the phone, take some deep breaths, and relax. It’s time to allow the mind and body to be refreshed.

You know when you’re refreshed: you start thinking about the things that excite you again; you feel energised; you want to get cracking! You want to grasp the bigger picture, to get the creative juices flowing, to be inspired, to plan. Well, here’s a few ideas from CORE staff that just may provide some of that stimulus. There’s both fiction and non-fiction, heavier as well as light. We have placed them under the main categories for our blog, and provided, and a variety of mediums: books, websites, videos, podcasts. There’s something for everyone.

The list

General

Books

This book will help you achieve ambitious visions for learning through swift innovation.

Ewan is well known to many as an educational leader, ULearn keynoter and thought leader. His company Notosh recently hosted the Google Certified Teacher Academy in Sydney. This book outlines his philosophy behind design thinking.

Two oldies but goodies that take you into the world and heads of the the student who doesn’t fit into the social infrastructure of school or society.

A combo of delightful switch off reading-for-pleasure holiday reads with a central protagonist in each that really got me thinking about the backstory of students who just don’t fit in.

Reviewer: Paula Eskett

Key Competencies for the Future – Hipkins et al (2014), NZCER

A timely focus on how the NZ Curriculum — and the Key Competencies in particular — offer a vehicle to design learning around “wicked problems” and real world learning. CORE featured this book, with NZCER, as part of Connected Educator Month. The discussions are still open for you to join.

This book offers a starting point for any school looking for a pragmatic way forward in the rethinking of student-centred, relevant learning programmes.

This book offers practical advice on how teachers can have high expectations for their students. It explores three key areas that high expectation teachers enact differently: the way they group students for learning, the way they create a caring classroom community, and the way they use goal setting to motivate students.

This book is inspirational and has the potential to transform teaching and learning — it is an easy read, and provides examples and practical guidelines to help lift teachers’ expectations — love the New Zealand context … every teacher, and everyone who works with teachers, should put it on their reading list!

Reviewer: Adele O’Leary

Program or be programmed —Douglas Rushkoff

The debate over whether the Net is good or bad for us fills the airwaves and the blogosphere. But for all the heat of claim and counter-claim, the argument is essentially beside the point: it’s here; it’s everywhere. The real question is, do we direct technology, or do we let ourselves be directed by it and those who have mastered it? “Choose the former,” writes Rushkoff, “and you gain access to the control panel of civilization. Choose the latter, and it could be the last real choice you get to make.” In ten chapters, composed of ten “commands” accompanied by original illustrations from comic artist Leland Purvis, Rushkoff provides cyberenthusiasts and technophobes alike with the guidelines to navigate this new universe.

Rushkoff investigates why programming is the new literacy of the digital age. An interesting read highlighting the importance of understanding programming.

Article

Preparing for a Renaissance in Assesssment — Peter Hill and Michael Barber

“We are about to see big changes in the possibilities of assessment as a result of technology” writes Barber. “Current assessment systems around the world are deeply wedded to traditional testing and exams and, some might argue, are holding us back from potential reforms” This highly readable, though meaty article, argues that current assessment methods are no longer working, so that even the top performing education systems in the world have hit a performance ceiling. The authors set out a ‘Framework for Action’ for school leaders to prepare for the “assessment renaissance”

Videos

This video features Ken Robinson, who outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish — and how current education culture tends to work against them.

The description on the site reads: "Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish — and how current education culture works against them. In a funny, stirring talk he tells us how to get out of the educational "death valley" we now face, and how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility."

Ken Robinson, as well as being an entertaining speaker, has some leading ideas that feed into approaches such as Modern Learning Environments and Practices, and Universal Design for Learning.

Awareness of the importance of affective factors on cognitive abilities has been long-known, but this podcast focuses on "studies that show how poverty-related stress can affect brain development, and inhibit the development of non-cognitive skills".

The implications for curriculum design, facilitation and support of students of all ages, as well as assessment practices are huge.

This American Life is a weekly public radio show broadcast on more than 500 stations to about 2.2 million listeners. It is also often the most popular podcast in the country, with around one million people downloading each week.

This was probably the most recomended podcast by friends — apologies if you’re familiar but I think it’s a great start to listening to podcasts for pleasure.

Reviewer: Rochelle Savage

Early Years

Book

Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years: Tools for Teaching and Learning — Chip Donohue

‘Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years is a thought-provoking guide to effective, appropriate, and intentional use of technology with young children. This book provides strategies, theoretical frameworks, links to research evidence, descriptions of best practice, and resources to develop essential digital literacy knowledge, skills and experiences for early childhood educators in the digital age.’

Provides current thinking around using digital technologies to support young children’s learning. A good read that prompts reflection on how we use digital tools.

Podcast

Ruta and Lima, experienced Early Learning Facilitators, explain the proverb — “Ia su’i tonu le mata o le niu” which means to pierce the right eye of the coconut. The proverb describes the notion of leadership — to go about an undertaking in the proper way — leading the right way. Q1 of this series.

Due to the vast growth of Pasifika families and children attending ece services in both mainstream and Pasifika services the Ministry is interested in developing Pasifika leadership pedagogies to ensure that teachers and leaders who are working with Pasifika families/fanau and communities are demonstrating an understanding of Pasifika theories and practice in their services. The Pasifika Education Plan puts Pasifika learners, families and communities at the centre, so that all activities are responding to the identities, languages and cultures of each Pasifika group.

Reviewer: Rochelle Savage

Emerging Technologies

Book

This book explores issues related to identity, privacy, safety, danger, and bullying, as faced byyoung people online.

This is a timely reminder that, contrary to popular media, networked spaces function at the heart of many young people’s identities and sense of connectedness to those around them. boyd presents a person-centred view of society and offers an informed take on how we might alter our view and support them to become confident and independent in a networked world.

Reviewer: Karen Melhuish Spencer

Podcast

CORE colleagues John Fenaughty and Chrissie Butler discuss changes in understandings of bullying and cyberbullying and explore how schools can take a more inclusive approach to supporting the wellbeing of all students.

To quote John and Chrissie: As 1:1 technologies and BYOD become more prevalent in schools, evaluating school-wide approaches to support students’ wellbeing becomes imperative and a wonderful opportunity to enhance inclusive practice.

This podcast also features other resources on the page.

Reviewer: Karen Melhuish Spencer

Video

Many technologies have promised to revolutionize education, but so far none has. With that in mind, this video asks: what could revolutionize education?

An engaging, lighthearted and informed overview of the ‘big picture’ around the evolution of technologies and the hype that can surround their use. This would be a good ‘spark’ to prompt staff discussion.

Reviewer: Karen Melhuish Spencer

Kaupapa Māori

Book

Tiketike Ngahuru, Hakahaka Raumati — Teanau Tuiono

A Māori medium resource on traditional seasonal calendars and how they are used to plan planting and harvesting

If you are interested in how some communities continue to use the environment to plan and organise their lives. It is written in Māori.

Podcast

Nichole Gully and Tahu Paki discuss their top tips for second language success? The most important? Embrace your dickness.

As someone who normally loves to give things a go but struggles with languages, I think of Nichole’s advice when I feel nervous about giving it a go. This podcast is entertaining — Nichole and Tahu are excellent — but filled with practical examples from real life.Very relatable.

Reviewer: Rochelle Savage

Website

Teaching of Māori history is a new learning focus closely related to tikanga ā-iwi and social studies. The website is bilingual and caters for the needs of all kura and schools with students at this level.

Reviewer: Deanne Thomas

Pasifika Education

Podcast

Providing a parent’s perspective on the identities, languages, cultures of their children who are of Māori and Pasifika descent. Highlighting the challenges of navigating Māori and Pasifika learners on their educational journeys by focusing on who they are and how they articulate their values.

An excellent insight from a parent:
'Teachers of kids like mine need to learn to understand their worlds, talk to their parents and whānau and think about how their cultures, languages and identities shape the individuals they are — every child comes from a different background and this can inform their learning in the classroom.' Shannon — parent of two Pasifika children.

Reviewer: Rochelle Savage

Ten Trends

Video

Just like his beloved grandfather, Avi Reichental is a maker of things. The difference is, now he can use 3D printers to make almost anything, out of almost any material. Reichental tours us through the possibilities of 3D printing, for everything from printed candy to highly custom sneakers.

For anyone interested in makerspaces and hands-on innovation, this video will be an engaging exploration into how 3D printing will become an integral part of design processes. Reichental argues that it will connect us with our heritage and our culture around us.

Reviewer: Karen Melhuish Spencer

Book

Produced as a collaborative effort during Connected Educator Month, this e-book, in English and te reo Māori, explores how digital views in education are changing.

Dip in and out of short chapters on digital communities, connected learning, iPads and digital citizenship, to name a few. With an impressive team of educators — and a front cover and forward from Pam Hook — this is also a model of what can be achieved through collaborative action online. A trend in action.

Reviewer: Karen Melhuish Spencer

Reality is Broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world — Jane McGonigalKindle version

Written for gamers and non-gamers alike, Reality is Broken sends a clear and provocative message: the future will belong to those who can understand, design and play games.

The two main take-aways from this book have changed the way I do my work: many small and meaningful challenges and real time feedback is the key; by turning your world into a game you can hack life itself. Don’t read this book unless you’re prepared to buy into its premise.

Video

In this 20-minute video presentation explains how alternate reality games can alter an individual’s reality for the better in a technique dubbed reality-hacking.

Jane McGonigal is extraordinary in her vision and in her accomplishments. Her work heralds a brave new world in which we are truly masters of our own destiny; in educational terms both empowering and agentic, she gives us tools for life.

Reviewer: Stephen Lowe

Website

Six to Start create award-winning games that combine the digital and physical world. Zombies, Run! and The Walk use smartphone sensors to create immersive and motivating gaming experiences in the real world.

Don’t just transform your classroom, totally transcend it! Make your immediate locality your classroom. Walk, run, play and learn. The future of personal computing is unarguably both personal and mobile. Six to Start are leaders.

Universal Design for Learning

Book

This book is the print version of the CAST website, and the two complement each other. Sometimes it’s easier to sit with a book than stare at a screen.

It’s my opinion that there’s a lot wrong in this book. But they say you have to learn the rules before you can start breaking them. It is good to read the standard text, before your move on (through conversation with Chrissie Butler, for example) towards deeper understandings.

Reviewer: Stephen Lowe

Podcast

Using analogies of food and sport, Chrissie Butler — CORE Education's UDL [Universal Design for Learning] specialist — talks to Learning Designer Stephen Lowe about the three principles of UDL: 'Working out what people need (to learn) and the smartest way to make it'

An excellent place to start for those who wish to learn more about Universal Design for Learning. An engaging conversation between CORE’s UDL expert Chrissie Butler and Instructional Designer Stephen Lowe.

The podcast page also has links to other options of finding out more about UDL.

Reviewer: Rochelle Savage

Modern learning

Video

“What works to prepare a student to be successful in their classes, with the kind of skills they have to use is not that different from the skills they’re going to need when the leave school & go into the workplace”.
In just over 4 mins see what the combo of great service & space design in a MLLE (Modern Library Learning Environment) can do.
How would this library environment support MLP?

An excellent clip to challenge the perception of traditional library design and shift the expectation of service and space from transactional to transformational.